Life, 1927-09-22 · page 27 of 40
Life — September 22, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical sketch about radio regulation, set during a Senate committee hearing. The humor centers on bureaucratic incompetence and the chaos of early radio broadcasting. **Key figures:** Senator Cuppling chairs a hearing about radio wavelength allocation. T. Westlake Vissey, president of a major radio company, attempts to testify. Senator Kitch accidentally enters the wrong meeting room. **The satire:** Multiple broadcasting stations operate simultaneously on overlapping frequencies, creating chaos. The Senate committee is disorganized—they can barely keep proceedings focused. Vissey wants priority for his company, while Senator Grizner questions why radio stations won't fulfill listener requests (likely referencing the "Four Crooning Collegians," a popular singing group). **The joke:** The sketch mocks both corporate self-interest in controlling airwaves and governmental inability to effectively regulate emerging technology. The bureaucratic confusion—wrong meetings, forgotten rubbers—undercuts any authority they might claim.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life The Freedom of the Air By Marc Connelly (A Senate Committee is meeting. Some radio men have asked for a Ceurruine, the Chairman, raps for order.) CUPELING: Gentlemen, let's get down to business. T. Westiaxe Vissey (rising): i Gentlemen, I come all » to Washington to— Curpuixe: Hey! (Vissey looks at him and stops.) Ill let you know when it’s time for you to testify. Vissey: My mistake. (Sits down.) hearing. Senator have Editor of @ Confession Magazine (arriving home at 8 A.M.): 1 CAN'T THINK OF A THING TO TELL MARY. Curr. get down to business.- fit of the Si the last meeting, these radio men are here to tell us how they feel about wave lengths and things like that; and when the hearing is over, why, we can tell them what wave lengths they can have. (Senator Kitcn rises.) Senator Kitch. Kitcn: I thought this was a meet- ing of the Inland Fishery Conserva- tion Sub-Committee. Cuppiinc: No, sir. mecting in Room 17. Kitcu: Then I guess I have come (He starts nt. Gentlemen, suppose we For the bene- nators who weren't at They are into the wrong meeting. to leave.) No offense Senator Curriine: And none taken. Am I right, gentlemen? Senators Grizner, Henney Hanninar: Yes, sir. Kiten (in doorway): 1 have for- gotten me rubbers. (Mrs. Detta Fortrer, of Minargo, Wyoming, who has dropped in while seeing the sights of the Capital, hands them to him.) You are very kind. Mrs. Fortree: Not at all. Kitcn (blushing): I will put them on out in the hall. Good day, gentlemen. (He exits.) Att: Good day. (They can hard- ly keep from laughing.) Curruine: IT guess the laugh is on Senator Kitch. (Every one has to laugh.) Oh, dear, dear. Well, gentlemen, suppose we get down to AND business. Now? (Vissey sits Each fellow must take Vissey (rising): Cureiine: down, hurt.) his turn. Vissey (to himself): I run one of the biggest radio companies in the world. Cuprtinc: Now, the proposition, as I understand it, is that there are too many broadcasting — stations broadcasting at the same time and it’s hard sometimes to decide just who has the priority. Some say this company and some say that company, so that a person doesn’t know what to think. I guess we are naw ready to listen to what you radio gentle men have to say. I believe this tleman would like to say something ates Vissey.) What is your Vissev: T. Westlake Vissey, President of the Vissey Radio Com pany and Allied Organizations. ‘uppiinc: You are in the business, are you not? Vissev: Yes, sir. Senator Gnizner: radio Do you con s, sir. Then why is it the Four Crooning Collegians don’t try to fill the requests people make? Vissey: They have. only to name their pleasure as a rule and the boys oblige. Gnizner (opening brief happen to have with me a copy of a postcard I sent on September 18. I (Continued on page 31) ’ lone nw ae a ‘ The Day of Rest comicbooks.com